High Lord's Guardian

Rhysand

Crius paced the length of the hallway, shaking with anticipation.

Demira's screams were heard from the hallway as he paced back and forth. 

Dolunay watched from her seat as the boy she raised panicked at the screams of his mate echoed down the halls.

"Crius, you must calm yourself. It will all be alright." Luna comforted as she flipped through the pages of her book.

"I'm trying mama. I'm just..." Orion paused trying to find the right word.

"Panicking?"
"No."
"Terrified?"
"Mom!"

The High Lord unintentionally calmed at the guardian's distraction. Flopping down beside her in a heap, his head buried in his hands.

A sense of Deja vu brought a smile to the guardian's face.

"I'm just... I'm nervous. I knew I would have to let go of you once the baby is born, but now that it's here... I don't know how to live without you, Mama... Not only that but my mate is in agony and I'm gonna be a father... What if I turn out like my father?" Crius ranted, his voice muffled by his hands.

Luna put down her book, running a comforting hand down his back, "You are so full of love, Crius. And I will be right here the whole way, if you stumble, I will pick up the slack just like I always have... worry not, High Lord, you are not alone in this."

His tense muscles relaxed only to stiffen once again when they heard the cries of a baby in the room. 

Crius was on his feet in a moment, racing into the room to meet his son. Luna, held back, allowing them to have their moment as a family before she entered.

She knew what would happen next, the pain the continuation of her oath would cause, but she made a promise to Orion to guard his legacy and guard she had. 

No heir had ever died under her protection and none ever would.

After a few minutes, Luna entered the room seeing Crius with a  small bundle in his arms. She smiled softly as she looked at the small babe.

He had Illyrian wings like his mother and her dark blue-black hair.

"It's a boy. Mama, I have a son." Crius said in awe as he looked down at the baby. "He's perfect." Tears filled the high lord's eyes as he cradled his son.

"...Are you ready?" Luna asked softly. Crius looked up at her, tears lining his eyes as he nodded. Luna pulled out a silver dagger, decorated with black diamonds. It was a Ceremonial Daggar crafted with the announcement of the third heir of night, only used during the ceremony of the guardian bond.

The sacred blade slid across Dolunay's open palm and golden blood poured out of her wound onto the floor as the air of the chamber shifted.

The diety used her blood to draw a symbol on his newborn's head and she took the babe from his father's arms.

"I, Dolunay, daughter of Nyx and Erebus, Goddess of shadows and Night, do swear my protection to the heir of the Night Court, for as long as the Night court shall stand. Upon the blood, I have already shed I swear my patronage and my fealty." As the words echoed with the power of a goddess the symbol disappeared from the babes head and a tattoo of the moon's cycle appeared wrapping around the baby's forearm. A matching tattoo formed on Luna's forearm a sign of a promise.

Crius cried out in agony as the mark disappeared from his arm. A cold, hollow feeling took over as he collapsed onto his knees. 

He had expected the pain, but he had not fully understood the loneliness, the numbness that would drown him as his connection to Dolunay disappeared.

The babe opened his beautiful violet eyes, staring up at his guardian. The bond fell into place as he snuggled closer to her.

"Does he have a name?" Luna asked Mira.

" Rhysand... his name is Rhysand," Mira answered smiling brightly, but concerned for her mate who struggled to get to his feet.

"Welcome to the world, Rhysand, heir of Night... we are gonna be absolute menaces to your poor father."

"Mama... what is this?" Crius groaned as he gripped his chest. 

Luna handed Rhysand back to his mother as she walked over to Crius, "I warned you, it would not be easy... It's not the pain of the break that makes it hard, it's living with the loss afterward-"

She was cut off as Rhysand started crying. 

He had woken up from his short nap in the arms of his mother. His screams were agonizing as Luna left Crius to walk over to Rhysand.

"What's wrong with him?" Mira panicked as she tried to soothe her baby.

Luna took Rhysand from his mother's arms and he instantly quieted, falling back asleep in his guardian's arms.

"Nothing. It's just a brand new bond. The clinginess will fade eventually." Luna answered, already feeling like a dick for taking the baby from his mother so quickly.

Mira didn't seem to mind, understanding what a mating bond felt like and just equating it to a fresh bond. 

Crius sat by his mate, taking her hand in his as she drifted off to sleep, still trying to ignore the steady ache in his chest of the missing bond.

Luna walked towards the window, holding Rhysand close to her. 

She felt something different about this one. 

A power she did not feel in the others. 
It took her a few moments to recognize the power she had seen before, her eyes widened at the realization.

A Daemati

The new heir was a daemati, a powerful one at that. 

Those bright purple eyes looked up at his guardian and she knew that he would be trouble for her. 

She smiled, humming the tune she hummed to them all. Crius' head snapped to her as he recognized the lullaby from his youth. 

A fit of feral jealousy took over as he looked at his replacement. 

He hated the resentment he held towards his son, his child. 

He felt ridiculous. He was a high lord, he knew that this was coming. And yet as his mother figure hummed the same song to her latest priority, he couldn't help himself.